Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on 1 Peter 3:7
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them, etc.] “With your wives”, as the Syriac and Ethiopic versions read; which not only included dwelling together in the same house, and bedding together in the same bed, but the whole of conjugal conversation, and all the offices and duties incumbent on men in a married state: according to knowledge; of themselves, and their wives, and the duties belonging to the conjugal state, and the laws of God and man respecting it; and according to their knowledge of the Gospel, and the Christian dispensation, which no ways breaks in upon, but strengthens and encourages to the observance of things belonging to natural religion, and civil life; and according to that superior knowledge of things, which, generally speaking, men have to women; as also wisely, prudently, becoming their characters as men and Christians: particularly giving honour to the wife; by speaking well of her, and respectfully to her, and by deeds as well as words; not only by clothing her in a decent and becoming manner, suitable to her station; but by providing everything honest and comely for her, food and raiment, a suitable maintenance, all the necessaries, conveniences, and delights of life, that are laudable and proper; in which sense the word honour is used in (<540503>1 Timothy 5:3,17) and this was agreeably to the doctrine of the Jews f68, who say, “let a man always take care wtça dwbkb, “of the glory of his wife”; for there is no blessing found in a man's house, but for the sake of his wife, as it is said, (<011216>Genesis 12:16) “and he entreated Abraham well for her sake”: and Rabba used to say to the citizens, wkyyçnl wryqwa, “honour your wives”, that ye may be rich.” And indeed this is what they promised in their marriage contract, which runs thus f69: “be thou unto me for a wife, according to the law of Moses and Israel, and I, by the word of heaven, or God, will worship, ryqwaw, “and honour”, and nourish, and take care of thee, according to the custom of the Jews, who worship, and “honour”, and nourish, and take care of their wives.” As unto the weaker vessel; so in (Th 4:4) the wife is called a vessel, (see Gill on “<520404>1 Thessalonians 4:4”), and here “the weaker”; being so for the most part, both as to strength of body, and endowments of mind; and therefore to be used gently and tenderly, and not be treated with neglect and contempt, or with inhumanity and severity; but as, in every state and condition, the strong are to bear the infirmities of the weak; so a man should bear with, and accommodate himself to the infirmities of his wife, and hide them as much as he can, and not expose them, nor despise her on account of them. It is a saying of the Jews f70, “if thy wife be short of stature, bow thyself, and whisper to her.” The meaning of the proverb is, that he ought to suit himself to her capacity and weakness: and as being heirs together of the grace of life; not of a natural life, and the good things of it; though husbands and wives partake of the same kind of life, and have a right unto, and share in the same necessaries of life; so Adam and Eve were partakers of the same life, and sharers of the same benefits; and which is a reason indeed why they ought to live lovingly together: but something more is intended; not the external gifts of the Spirit, which, unless in some few instances, are bestowed on men, and not on women; nor the Gospel, and the ordinances of it, which are the means of grace and life; though men a…
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